Sunday, March 29, 2009

医院 yi yuan (hospital)

     Mr. Xue picked me up. Checked in at desk. Waited. Then, we who where there for physicals were corralled from room to room to get all the different check ups done.
Room 102 –change into gown/weight/height
Room 112 --eye examination room-cover one eye and say which way the “E” is pointing

Room 109 was labeled “Sample Center”. Worst room. By far.
      I was not allowed to eat for 12 hours prior to check up. Knowing I am a bit faint around needles (especially when I have not eaten breakfast), I opened a piece of chocolate (because I knew I would not have the strength to open it after the needle) and sat it on my leg. I propped my right arm up on the desk—nurse ties a rubber band thing around my bicep and starts slapping the veins in the crease of my arm above my elbow. Here we go…huge needle/shovel looking on the top where the blood can run down goes into my arm and she gets the back of the plastic part to syringe the blood out of my arm.
      This is the part where my eyesight becomes blurry, sounds become muffled, and my head begins to lay back against the chair. I of course forget about the chocolate on my leg. Luckily the nurse figures it out and begins to feed me the piece of chocolate as my head is resting on the back of the chair. Just before I went all the way out the chocolate began to take affect and the nurse also got me some water. I still must not have looked too good, because she reclined the chair then went to get me a ‘moon pie’ looking thing. She would not let me get up from the chair till I had finished eating it.

On to room 116- who knew they give ultrasounds to people who aren’t pregnant? My liver, gallbladder, and kidneys looked interesting on a monitor. The nurses just stared at me funny as I was still weak trying to get up and off of the tall bed-table I had to get on for the gook to be applied to my stomach for the ‘viewing’ of the internals.

117- Chest x-ray – lungs and heart seemed to be ok.

110 – 2nd worst room- EKG. Muster up some more energy to climb on another tall table. Lay down. Out come the rusty metal clamps that are attached to my ankles and wrists. Old timey suction cups with air squeezy balls attached to the end of them are placed around my chest and stomach. And the lady says “relax”. Like that is easy to do when your hooked up to a 1970s piece of medical equipment. Sheesh.

     Last room was another poking an prodding breathing in and out room, and the doctor took my blood pressure—that has always been pretty low. He took it once, mumbled under his breath, took it again and said “very low, very low”.
      Good thing I was watching as he began to type all the information from the other rooms onto the computer. The picture and profile where NOT me. It was a brown headed Belgium girl who was a few people behind me in the ‘corralling line’ . “Oh, so sorry, so sorry” the doctor said when I finally got it across to him that that was not my picture.

     Back out to the waiting room it was my turn to smile at the people who where nervously awaiting their check up experience. Whew, glad that’s over with!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

"dreams are the currency of the future"

   A big thank you to my wonderful dad who paid my overweight luggage fee so that I could READ. Yes, I brought some heavy intellectual stimulation in the form of books. It has proved to be fascinating so far to see how each one grows me so much!
   Yesterday while reading The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly, I stopped within the first few chapters to write down some dreams. You know what makes me smile? When other people are living/thinking about/planning their dreams too.
-when a friend sits down with his brother to talk about their goals
-when the dreamer lands her summer photog gig
-when a friend tells me in the pool at my house one summer where in the world she was going to live... and she does it!
-when a friend drives cross country in pursuit of his dreams
-when a friend scuba dives Rotan Island to lobbying at Capital Hill and everything in between.
-when a friend moves to NYC
-when a friend nails a tough interview to land a sweet museum gig
-when a friend survives an accident, comes to know Christ, and redirects their life
-when friends find true love
-when friends and family nurture children - natural and/or adopted
-when a friend becomes a rock star
   "The pursuit of dreams creates passion, energy, enthusiasm, and vitality. One of the most powerful dynamics in relationships is trying to understand the other person's dreams and helping them chase and fulfill those dreams. Every relationship improves when we are mindful of each others dreams."
    KEEP PURSING YOUR DREAMS!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

no hui yuan = crazy day at the office

     Back in Beijing I was in the building (guarding the door to the conference room) where a major deal went down between Coke and Huiyuan (a major Chinese juice company). Well, the government had exactly 200 days from that day to decide wether they wanted to allow the deal to happen (both Mr. Muhtar and Mr. Ju were in agreement, but nothing here is final until the gov says so).
      The deal for 2.5 billion was presented one week before the financial crisis in the States happened. Had the deal been made one week later it would have been for probably half of that offer. Today in the Shanghai offices rumors were flying, and everything was 'a buzz'. There have been nationalist protestors at the building who want to protect their local brands. The 200 days just ran out... the government did not allow the take over. This could be a blessing in disguise for CocaCola, as with the economic crisis, they can use the money for other investments. More below:


http://www.ajc.com/business/content/shared-gen/ap/Finance_General/AS_China_Coca_Cola_Huiyuan.html

Friday, March 13, 2009

chasing geese

      If I were to look back at my journals  I could find the entry in one where I wrote about a special memory. It was a few years ago (maybe four) and I was on a jog through the neighborhood when two geese flew low over me. I stopped in my tracks because I felt a strong presence of the Lord. You need to understand that geese flying around our area is somewhat common because the lake being so near. This was different. I felt the Lord's promise of two things. 1) A call on my life 2) a promise of protection. From then on two geese flying has been a reminder to me of the Lord's presence. Right now I am living these promises.

     I am told that if a goose falls out of formation another will go back to be with it, they never leave one behind. What a reminder to us all of God's promise in Hebrew 13:5 "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

     Today I had a divine appointment with God through reading Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson.  The Celtic Christians name for the Holy Spirit was An Geadh-Glas, or 'the Wild Goose'. I resonate with the fact that the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed.  

     Within the first few pages of the book I had underlined, written notes in the margin, and stopped to reread a few lines. It was so closely related to my life right now, it was a though the words were jumping off the pages at me. 
      
...circumstantial uncertainty also goes by another name: ADVENTURE
...nothing is more unnerving or disorienting that passionately pursuing God
...otro dia, otra aventura (another day, another adventure)
...we have a primal longing to be uncaged 
...Soren Kierkegaard believed boredom is the root of all evil.

    If I listed all the quotes and notes I took away from this book, this post would be far to long. So I will pray for YOUR divine appointment with this book, whenever that may be for you. For me, it was today.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

en route

Gen 28:15 "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go...I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. "